تَلومُ عَلى هِجاءِ بَني كُلَيبٍ

تَلومُ عَلى هِجاءِ بَني كُلَيبٍ

فَيا لَكَ لِلمَلامَةِ مِن نَوارا

فَيا لَكَ لِلمَلامَةِ مِن نَوارا

She reproaches me for satirizing the sons of Kulayb.

You blame me for satirizing the clan of Kulayb,

And oh, what reproach from Nawar!

Yet to blame is so unbecoming of you.

فَقُلتُ لَها أَلَمّا تَعرِفيني

فَقُلتُ لَها أَلَمّا تَعرِفيني

إِذا شَدَّت مُحافَلَتي الإِزارا

إِذا شَدَّت مُحافَلَتي الإِزارا

So I said to her: Do you not yet know me

I said to her, "Do you not recognize me,

when my contest of boasts girds on its waistcloth?

When my waist-wrap is tightened in earnest?"

فَلَو غَيرُ الوَبارِ بَني كُلَيبٍ

فَلَو غَيرُ الوَبارِ بَني كُلَيبٍ

هَجَوني ما أَرَدتُ لَهُم حِوارا

هَجَوني ما أَرَدتُ لَهُم حِوارا

For had any but those hyraxes, the sons of Kulayb,

Had the nobles of Kulayb satirized me,

satirized me, I would have sought no exchange with them.

I'd not have engaged them in discourse.

وَلَكِنَّ اللِئامَ إِذا هَجَوني

وَلَكِنَّ اللِئامَ إِذا هَجَوني

غَضِبتُ فَكانَ نُصرَتِيَ الجِهارا

غَضِبتُ فَكانَ نُصرَتِيَ الجِهارا

But when the ignoble satirized me,

But when the vile satirize me,

I grew angry, and open speech was my defense.

I grow wrathful, and my defense turns vocal.

وَقالَت عِندَ آخِرِ ما نَهَتني

وَقالَت عِندَ آخِرِ ما نَهَتني

أَتَهجو بِالخَضارِمَةِ الوِبارا

أَتَهجو بِالخَضارِمَةِ الوِبارا

And she said, at the end of her admonition:

At the end of her reproaches she said,

Do you use magnanimous lords to satirize hyraxes?

"Would you satirize the doddering elders?"

أَتَهجو بِالأَقارِعِ وَاِبنِ لَيلى

أَتَهجو بِالأَقارِعِ وَاِبنِ لَيلى

وَصَعصَعَةَ الَّذي غَمَرَ البِحارا

وَصَعصَعَةَ الَّذي غَمَرَ البِحارا

Do you satirize them with the Aqariʿ and the son of Layla,

"Would you satirize the bald and the son of Layla,

and Saʿsaʿa, who overwhelmed the seas,

And old Sa'sa'ah who roamed the seas?"

وَناجِيَةَ الَّذي كانَت تَميمٌ

وَناجِيَةَ الَّذي كانَت تَميمٌ

تَعيشُ بِحَزمِهِ أَنّى أَشارا

تَعيشُ بِحَزمِهِ أَنّى أَشارا

and Najiya, under whom Tamim used to

"And Najiyah, whose tent ropes Tameem

live by his sound judgment, wherever he pointed?

Would follow wherever they were pitched?"

بِهِ رَكَزَ الرِماحَ بَنو تَميمٍ

بِهِ رَكَزَ الرِماحَ بَنو تَميمٍ

عَشِيَّةَ حَلَّتِ الظُعُنُ النِسارا

عَشِيَّةَ حَلَّتِ الظُعُنُ النِسارا

Through him the sons of Tamim planted their spears

With him Tameem's spears were planted

on the evening the women in litters halted at al-Nisar,

On the eve when the hems were tucked up.

وَأَنتَ تَسوقُ بَهمَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

وَأَنتَ تَسوقُ بَهمَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

تُطَرطِبُ قائِماً تُشلي الحُوارا

تُطَرطِبُ قائِماً تُشلي الحُوارا

while you drive the lambs and kids of the sons of Kulayb,

While you harp on the clan of Kulayb,

standing, making herding calls, calling to the camel calf.

Mumbling and stammering incoherently,

فَكَيفَ تَرُدُّ نَفسَكَ يا اِبنَ لَيلى

فَكَيفَ تَرُدُّ نَفسَكَ يا اِبنَ لَيلى

إِلى ظِربى تَحَفَّرَتِ المَغارا

إِلى ظِربى تَحَفَّرَتِ المَغارا

So how can you lower yourself, son of Layla,

How can you restrain yourself, O son of Layla,

to polecats that have dug out dens?

To a crumbling ruin with hollowed caves?

أَجَعلانَ الرَغامِ بَني كُلَيبٍ

أَجَعلانَ الرَغامِ بَني كُلَيبٍ

شِرارَ الناسِ أَحساباً وَدارا

شِرارَ الناسِ أَحساباً وَدارا

O dung beetles of the dust, sons of Kulayb,

Do you reckon the rabble of Kulayb

worst of men in family honor and dwelling!

To be the worst of men in lineage and abode?

فَرافِعهُم فَإِنَّ أَباكَ يَنمى

فَرافِعهُم فَإِنَّ أَباكَ يَنمى

إِلى العُليا إِذا اِحتَفَروا النِقارا

إِلى العُليا إِذا اِحتَفَروا النِقارا

Then vie with them in rank, for your father rises

Nay, lift them up, for your father aspires

to the heights when they dig out holes.

To the heights whenever the trenches are dug.

وَإِنَّ أَباكَ أَكرَمُ مِن كُلَيبٍ

وَإِنَّ أَباكَ أَكرَمُ مِن كُلَيبٍ

إِذا العيدانُ تُعتَصَرُ اِعتِصارا

إِذا العيدانُ تُعتَصَرُ اِعتِصارا

And your father is nobler than Kulayb,

Your father is nobler than Kulayb

when the branches are thoroughly squeezed.

When the staffs are tightly bound together.

إِذا جُعِلَ الرَغامِ أَبو جَريرٍ

إِذا جُعِلَ الرَغامِ أَبو جَريرٍ

تَرَدَّدَ دونَ حُفرَتِهِ فَحارا

تَرَدَّدَ دونَ حُفرَتِهِ فَحارا

When the dust’s dung beetle, Jarir’s father,

When Abu Jarir's kin are reckoned

moves to and fro outside his hole, then turns back,

He lingers shyly by his dugout and recoils,

مِنَ السودِ السَراعِفِ ما يُبالي

مِنَ السودِ السَراعِفِ ما يُبالي

أَلَيلاً ما تَلَطَّخَ أَم نَهارا

أَلَيلاً ما تَلَطَّخَ أَم نَهارا

one of the black, lanky beetles—he does not care

Caring not whether the black bondsman

whether he gets smeared by night or by day.

Is sullied by night or by day,

لَهُ دُهدِيَّةٌ إِن خافَ شَيئاً

لَهُ دُهدِيَّةٌ إِن خافَ شَيئاً

مِنَ الجِعلانِ أَحرَزَها اِحتِفارا

مِنَ الجِعلانِ أَحرَزَها اِحتِفارا

He has a dung-ball; if he fears anything

For he has a gift for him should he fear aught

from the dung beetles, he secures it by digging.

From the slave chains he had covetously buried away."